Invoke

Chapter 21

Scarlett peered at the screen and then looked to Grace. "How do you know this?"

Grace shrugged. "There is a little thing called newspapers and public records. Lucky for you, I have connections, and Bobby is as smart as they come. All I did was give him a name and location, and bam!" Grace smacked her hand down on the table. "He found all sorts of stuff."

She was logging into her email for some scanned copies he had sent her.

"What's this?" Scarlett lifted some papers off the table, examining them.

Grace nodded forward. "That, my friend, is a copy of the picture he found in the archives and the obituary for Miss Josephine O'Grady."

Grace shook her head, sighing. "It freaked the hell outta me when I saw it."

Aiden peered over Grace's shoulder. The image on the paper was blurred, and he had to look closer. When he did so, he saw the uncanny resemblance of the ghost that appeared to them on the porch. She was attractive, with hair fastened at her neck and high cheekbones. The picture showed very little expression from her, but there was something in her slight grin that sent shivers up his arms.

He tapped the photo that Scarlett held. "That's her."

Grace continued typing. "Told you! If you think that's a revelation, take a look at this."

Both Aiden and Scarlett huddled around Grace, looking at the screen before them. Grace continued. "Bobby scanned this one pertinent piece of info for me, and even he had a hard time taking it in."

Scarlett took a seat next to her. "Go on."

Grace cleared her throat and inched in closer with her chair. "Okay...Here we go." She pushed her glasses up with her forefinger.

"A Miss Josephine O'Grady, the daughter of the late James O'Grady, was found hung on the morning of August 12th, 1875 at Storm's Light Estate.

It was rumored that Miss O'Grady found solace in witchcraft. There had been a history of lynch mob's that rallied around her aunt's small townhome in Charleston, where she lived with her late father's sister, prior to the purchase of Storm's Light. Her family denied such talk and beseeched the assistance of the Sheriff. Soon, the attacks died down, but Miss O'Grady was never to be heard of again, until someone discovered her body and contacted the authorities."

Aiden still stood, skimming over the screen. "Where is Storm's Light Estate?"

Grace clicked her tongue. "You're standing right on it."

"Jesus," he whispered softly.

"There is more." She scrolled the screen down. "It also states that she was previously engaged to Mr.William Reilly, but the engagement was called off. He later married Miss.Veronica Cooper."

Scarlett could feel the pricks of this news pouring into her, and her anxiousness at the very surface of it.

"That's why he was so secretive," Scarlett spoke softly, skimming over the article.

Grace looked up. "Who?"

"William," Scarlett said softly, entirely aware of what she was saying.

Aiden and Grace looked at one another, both receptive to Scarlett's words.

Aiden moved closer to Scarlett. "Secretive about what?"

Grace paused from the screen and watched as Scarlett sat quietly, her hands clasped on her lap. "He wouldn't speak of her. He evaded her questions. That is why they fought that night."